Web Pegged as Bad for Morals by Surfers in Emerging Countries

But a majority of folks in 32 developing nations also see the Internet as a boon, Pew reports.

As the Internet lays down roots across the globe, people in emerging countries are welcoming the Web's positive impacts, but are just as wary of what they perceive as its negative influence on morals.

According to a new Pew Research Center study, a majority of folks across 32 developing nations count the Web as beneficial for education, personal relationships, and the economy.

When it comes to politics and morality, however, the online maelstrom is viewed by many as a negative influence.

Some 30 percent of folks surveyed by Pew said the Internet has a poor influence on politics, while 36 percent disagreed. In terms of the Internet's effect on ethics and moral behavior, 42 percent said it was a bad influence and just 29 percent said it was good.

"Publics in emerging and developing nations are more convinced that the Internet is having a negative effect on morality," Pew said in its report. In no country surveyed did a majority of people say the Web's influence on morality was positive.

As the world population goes increasingly online, citizens in some countriesplaces like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ghanastill remain out of the loop, Pew noted.

In other countries like Chile and China, however, smartphone usage rates rival those in the U.S., Pew said. The research firm found that 18- to 34-year-olds in many countries are able to surf the Internet with ease, even with a limited network connection. Folks who read and/or speak English are also more inclined to access the Internet, according to Pew.

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For many people in underdeveloped countries, the Web is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family, via online communication services or social networks. More than 80 percent of users in such countries turn on the Internet to socialize, Pew said.

"Social networkers in these countries share information on popular culture, such as music, movies, and sports," the Pew report said. "To a lesser extent, they share views about commercial products, politics, and religion."

For its report, Pew conducted face-to-face surveys of 36,619 people in 32 countries, between March 17 and June 5, 2014.

Stephanie began as a PCMag reporter in May 2012. She moved to New York City from Frederick, Md., where she worked for four years as a multimedia reporter at the second-largest daily newspaper in Maryland. She interned at Baltimore magazine and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (in the town of Indiana, in the state of Pennsylvania) with a degree in journalism and mass communications.
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